Caritas Finland's Lenten Collection 2018 supports vocational training for Palestinian refugee women in Lebanon in collaboration with CAFOD, the Caritas agency of England and Wales. Many Palestinians residing in Lebanon are trapped in deep poverty. They are dependent on humanitarian assistance, which is provided at only a very basic level. The right of Palestinian refugees to study and work has been limited, and they do not have the right to social security or property ownership. Women are particularly vulnerable as their opportunities are further restricted by discriminatory attitudes. Palestinian women wishing to seek work confront traditional attitudes within their community, which oppose women working outside the home.

​The funds from the Caritas' Lenten collection will be used for vocational training for Palestinian women living in the refugee camps. Within the program, skills training is provided in the following areas: computers, secretarial, hairdressing, accounting, photography and montage. In addition to skills training, considerable support is given to help the course graduates to find jobs, attend workshops on life skills, and learn about conflict resolution, women’s rights, and physical and psychological health.